With the increased use of computers and web-based applications, increasing amounts of information are being made available to end users. As the costs of mass storage of data have decreased, and the speeds at which data can be obtained and transmitted have increased, the number of databases available to end users, and the size of those databases, have increased. Such databases are used to store a myriad of information. Typically, the stored information can be searched and retrieved by an end user via a user interface.
Specialized types of database are used to store information which has been subjected to some type of editorial review. For example, information related to legal proceedings is available through services known as Westlaw® and WestlawNext® provided by Thomson Reuters located in Eagan, Minn. In such services, judicial opinions (from various courts across the United States) are collected and published. The collected opinions are also summarized and classified based on the principles or points of law that they contain. For example, Thomson Reuters creates and classifies “headnotes” which are short summaries of points of law made in judicial opinions using a taxonomy. The taxonomy provided by Thomson Reuters is a hierarchical classification of over 20 million headnotes across more than 90,000 distinct legal topics. Each topic not only has a descriptive name, but also a unique number code known as its Key Number classification.
In addition to legal opinions, many other types of legal documents can be collected, stored, and subjected to editorial review (editorial review is also referred to herein as “editorializing” or “editing”). The process of collecting, storing and editorializing is an example of an editorial process. Exemplary legal documents include but are not limited to briefs filed in connection with a particular case, expert witness reports or testimony, depositions, filings related to particular motions and rulings on those motions, jury instructions, etc. In addition to information in document form, other types of data may be stored in connection with a judicial matter such as audio or videotapes of testimony or evidence, photographs, exhibits, written publications, computer recreations or exhibits, etc. As this raw information (referred to herein as “artifacts”) is entered into a particular database, the information is subjected to editorial review in which the information is associated with data which identifies the case or matter to which that information pertains. Other types of editing may occur as well including adding summaries to the information, classifying the information, cross referencing the information with other data, etc.
The process of editorial review can be automated whereby incoming information is analyzed by software. Based upon the analysis, in many instances the software is capable of correctly editorializing the information. For example, a program is developed that compares an incoming docket number associated with an appellate opinion to existing docket numbers to determine if there is a match. If there is a match to an existing docket number associated with a trial court ruling, the software will relate the two docket numbers and their associated documents. In other instances the editorializing performed by the software needs to be reviewed and/or revised, or the software is not capable of accurately making an editorializing decision and a professional editor must manually review the information. For example, the automated process determined that an editor should review a change of metadata. In known systems, the editor has to remember every place where that piece of metadata needs to be populated. Additionally in the know systems, the editor has to utilize several different editing tools and/or applications in order to populate all the fields that need the updated metadata. The known editorial review process is very time consuming and requires the professional editor to utilize different editing tools with a high degree of accuracy. Consequently, the present inventors have recognized a need for improvement of a system by a professional editor for use in editorial review of stored information.